Play

Play has Ed Sheeran at his safest and most uninspired, recycling the same formulas until they feel completely hollow and devoid of feeling.

I never like to blindly bash albums or artists, especially when they’re as universally hated as Ed Sheeran. A lot of the criticism toward him feels exaggerated or unfair, and even if I don’t find his music particularly exciting, I wanted to give Play a fair listen. Unfortunately, while it isn’t an outright bad album, it’s one of the most uninspired and forgettable he’s put out.

My expectations weren’t exactly high going in, but I was struck by how unremarkable almost every song is. The only other two Ed Sheeran albums I’ve listened to, = and -, were very flawed themselves, but they had significantly more variety in styles and subject matter that made them easier to get through. Play, on the other hand, is made almost entirely of either dance-pop tracks or stripped-back ballads, with very little in between. The lack of variation, especially in the second half, makes this drag out longer than it should, and results in the tracks all blending into each other.

There are a few high points, like the hook and general vibe on Azizam and the decent lyrics of Old Phone, but these pale in comparison to my favorites from his other projects. Not only that, but Play has a lot of moments that reminded me of older Ed Sheeran songs, whether that be the eerily familiar concepts or the attempts at rapping on the verses of Opening and A Little More. These similarities strip this album of the little identity it had left, and make it feel like a retread of old ideas and formulas. What makes Play most frustrating is that nothing is offensively terrible, yet none of it is remotely exciting either. Ed Sheeran’s signature polished production and radio-friendly melodies are as present as ever, but they feel even more soulless across Play because of how overdone they’ve become by now.

I don’t take any joy in being this negative because I know this album is a very easy target for reviews bashing everything about it. But, at the same time, I can’t pretend it's anything more than the most generic and uninspired version of Sheeran’s music. I didn’t expect him to redefine his sound or anything, but he takes so few risks here that I can barely remember any specifics from across the tracklist. At best, it’s passable background music made to be heard on the radio and forgotten immediately after. At worst, it’s Ed Sheeran continuing his career on autopilot, just like he has for as long as I can remember.